Stringed musical instrument.



J. TAYLOR & P. C. STEPHENS.

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24, 1911.

1,069,987, Patente i Aug. 12, 1913.

FIG. I.

FIG. 2

WITNESSES: INVENTORS A 6. Gi /5c By Q/MGWJ ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN TAYLOR AND FRED C. STEPHENS, OF LANSING, MICHIGAN.

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN TAYLOR and FRED C. STEPHENS, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Lansing, in the county of Ingham and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in StringedMusical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to stringed musical instruments, more particularlyto those of the general type of the guitar, mandolin, and banjo; thatis, stringed instruments in which the strings are picked, instead ofbeing operated with a bow or similar device, and its purpose is to makea musical instrument that shall be more sonorous, shall have a greatervolume of tone, together with a rounder, and fuller tone than in otherinstruments of the same general method of operation.

lVe attain these purposes by the means shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure l is a plan view of the body of our device;Fig. 2, a partial longitudinal sec tion of Fig. 1 along the line a:m, toshow the method of construction, and Fig. 3, a plan of a modified formof our device.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 is the main body of ourdevice which is made star-shaped as shown in the figure, the star havingpreferably an even number of points. By reason of this shape, the bodymay be made very much larger without becoming unwieldy, and also withoutmaking the wood of which the body is constructed so thick as to detractfrom its sonorous qualities.

In its general proportions of depth to size, our device is substantiallythe same as a guitar or similar musical instrument, and is built insomewhat the same manner and of similar materials, the top 2 being,however, preferably formed thinner than the bottom, and also beingthicker toward the center than at the points of the star, as shown inFig. 2. Strengthening braces 3, 4, 5 and 6, extend across the instrumentas shown in Figs. 1 and 2. These may be either fewer or more numerouswithout departing from our invention. An opening 7 is formed in thecenter of the upper plate of the body of the instrument, and a groove 13is formed in the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 24, 1911.

Patented Aug. 12,1913.

Serial No. 640,275.

wood of the body surrounding this opening, the plate being considerablythickened to make this possible, as shown in Fig. 2. A head 9, similarto a banjo head in construction, attached to a wire 10, is'placed overthe opening 7 in the body, and is tightened by metallic rings 8 and 12and bolts 11. The bridge 15 is mounted on the head 9 in the usualmanner. Sound openings 14:, which may be of any desired size or shape inproportion to the size of the body, are formed in the upper plate. Ifdesired, the head 9 may be omitted and the upper plate be uniform inthickness except for the general thickening toward the center. Thismodification is shown in Fig. 3. The neck and strings of the supportstherefor which are of similar construction as those employed in aguitar, are preferably attached as shown in Fig. 1, at the bases of thepoints, not only for the purpose of securing added strength, but forgreater convenience of manipulation.

We claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combination, in a stringed musical instrument, of a hollow woodenbody starshaped in horizontal cross section and hav ing a centralopening in the upper plate of said body, with a tightly drawn membranecovering said central opening.

2. The combination, in a stringed musical instrument, of a hollow woodenbody starshaped in horizontal cross section and having sound-openings inthe upper plate thereof, and a central opening in said plate, with atightly drawn membrane covering said central opening.

3. The combination in a stringed musical instrument, of a hollow woodenbody starshaped in horizontal cross section and having sound openings inthe upper plate thereof, and a central opening in said plate, with atightly drawn membrane covering said central opening, and means fortightening said membrane.

In testimony whereof, we affix our signatures in the presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN TAYLOR. FRED O. STEPHENS.

WVitnesses EDWARD CAHILL, L. E. PUETT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

